Do you remember all of those end of the world movies, the ones where the aliens arrive and nearly destroy the entire world, or the ones where massive earthquakes and volcanoes begin to occur, the meteorites slamming into the earth, or even those movies with massive nuclear strikes around the globe? Do you recall the ending of nearly, or perhaps I should say, all of those movies? Man triumphs in the end, he stands his ground, finds a way, mankind comes to the battle prepared, and right when things in those movies seem like all is lost, mankind finds a way to defeat certain death, rises to the occasion, and lives to fight another day.
That’s not going to happen this time, this time it’s not going to be a movie.
“And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matt. 24:22) Diversion is Satan’s greatest feat, and much of mankind, including many behind the pulpits on Sunday morning, are either knowingly or unwittingly assisting him in this endeavor today. Just how important is it in these times that are approaching to assist people in how to not be jealous, to help people know how to get along better in their church’s congregation, or to assist them in understanding better the differences between doctrinal issues that have no relevant form in these days.
How easy it was for the film producers to go back to making their idiotic sitcoms, the sports venues to begin again, the never-ending brainless commercials interrupting the time that people spend on social media sites or in front of their televisions. My guess is that soon we will have a national, or even world-wide “Covid Remembrance Day,” celebrating once again the power of man to reign supreme over all of his trials and tribulations.
The man standing on the wall looks behind him and sees all this revelry, this acceptance of these diversions, and is dumb founded, the enemy is approaching, and the populace is either sleeping, or has returned to some semblance of normalcy, their blinders firmly in place.
People don’t want to speak about all this “end of the world stuff,” they want to go out for pizza, they want to watch their sports programs, and the newest movie on Netflix, they don’t want to be bothered with the certain death of billions of people, and besides, in their minds, it will be just like the movies, everything will turn out alright, and then they can get back to enjoying life.
Instantaneously is not how these scenarios usually play out, the aliens are spotted coming from a long way away, the earth rumbles for quite a while, tensions rise slowly before the bombs begin to fall, very rarely does the volcano erupt without warning. “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thess. 5:3) There is no “cliffhanger” in this movie, billions will die, nearly all life on land and sea will perish, and there is no escape outside of faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.
Those of us who have been told to stand on the wall to watch and warn some days have a lot of difficulty understanding how so many can be so easily deceived, and it can be more than a little frustrating to watch as many who claim Jesus Christ as Lord spend their time talking about the weather or the latest gossip around town. “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matt. 24:36) I fear greatly that most don’t even care today about that hour, and even more for those who call Jesus Lord, yet in their own words and ways profess, “Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2 Peter 3:4) These are indeed the days of the beginnings of sorrows. (Matt. 24:8)
